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Home , Action Bronson, How Ya Like Me Now, Joey Badass, La Di Da Di, Monie Love, Noname (rapper)

************************************************************* Music of African Americans: -Decoded MUS 307/AFR 317

Fall 2020 MWF 12-1pm (online and synchronous)

Instructor: Dr. Charles Carson [email protected] (but please use Canvas) : @UT_Doc_C 512.232.9448 Virtual Office hours: W 1-2pm, or by appointment

Teaching Assistant: Andrew Normann [email protected]

I. Course Description: Generally speaking, this course is an introduction to the musical, social, cultural, and political aspects of Hip Hop culture in the US, as interpreted through the history and development of its musical style.

II. Course Aims and Objectives: Aims Beyond increasing familiarity with African American music and culture, a major goal of this course is to provide you with the tools to coexist--and indeed thrive--in a global context.

Specific Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students will: ● Be able to recognize and describe general elements of African American cultural practices, including instruments/media, performance practice, and aesthetics.

● Discuss the ways in which these elements have influenced (and continue to influence) contemporary US society, especially with respect to hip hop and related genres.

● Critically assess expressions and representations of African American culture in music and media.

● Be able to apply these critical thinking skills in the context of other cultures and contexts, both historical and contemporary.

III. Format and Procedures: Instructional mode: ONLINE - this course is designed to be 100% online and 100% synchronous. Students will be able to complete all required course activities remotely. Alternative access will be provided to students with demonstrated need for such accommodations.

The content will center around a select body of readings, recordings, videos, and other media. Advance preparation is key to following the content, so please come to class prepared to engage with that day’s materials. Other activities include: quizzes & assignments, and a final project to be explained in class.

IV. My Assumptions I believe that diversity is good for the world. It opens up our eyes to other perspectives and possibilities, and can thus help move humankind forward. I also believe that the understanding of how identity works in general is key to understanding ourselves. While this course will focus primarily upon expressions of African American identity, I hope that we will foster greater patience, understanding, and respect for any and all peoples.

By enrolling in this class, I assume that you are interested in taking such a journey. (By the way, the answer to question #5 on the syllabus quiz is C.) While I don’t expect you to agree with everything you hear, I do expect that you will put the utmost effort towards developing an appreciation for the musics and cultures discussed, as well as an awareness of music’s important role in the enrichment of the human spirit.

This class is NOT intended just for music majors. No previous musical knowledge or experience is required to excel in this course. Keep in mind that listeners make up the largest (and arguably the most powerful) demographic of the music industry, so what you think and feel about the music is important. Music is all around you, and—however unknowingly—you have developed the tools to interpret, discuss, and critique it. This class is intended to hone those skills, augmenting them with information about the music’s technical and cultural contexts.

PLEASE BE PATIENT. The university, your professors, and your teaching assistants are all having to adjust to this situation, too, and we are doing the best we can. There will be bumps and hiccups, but we will all take them in stride. Your grade will not be affected if something goes wrong, so relax and let’s just have some fun. Students who need accommodations due to their unique COVID-related situations should reach out to me immediately, so we can work around them.

A Word About Language Many of the recordings that we will encounter will utilize “colorful” language of various types. Whenever practicable, I have substituted edited versions of some examples if the edits do not dramatically affect the intention, meaning, or aesthetic of the . However, some examples need to be heard in their original format. Consider this a warning. The inclusion of such examples is not intended to be offensive, merely to represent the realities of the musical soundscapes we are discussing. Furthermore, such content is not to be taken as representing the thoughts, ideas, or perspectives of the instructor, your fellow students, or the university. More detail will be provided in class discussions.

V. Course Requirements: 1. Class attendance and participation policy: a. We recognize that this is a challenging time for all, and we will strive to be flexible and sensitive to the needs of individual students. b. That being said, you will be expected to attend virtual sessions, and demonstrate engagement through a variety of means. c. Attendance will be taken virtually, through session logs and online participation polls. d. Students will be allowed two unexcused absence before their grade will be affected. e. Unexcused absences are any absence for which you do not have a valid, verifiable excuse. These do NOT have to be provided beforehand, but need to be clearly documented.

f. YOU are responsible for any content that you miss due to absence, including readings, quizzes, or other activities, but of course we are available to help you access this material. g. Late assignments will not be accepted, except in the case of EXCUSED absences. h. A Word about Conduct in the Virtual Classroom: This course will deal with some touchy issues, including race/ethnicity, class, and gender/sexuality issues. While I want you to feel comfortable to express your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, I ask that please be sensitive to those around you—we all come from a variety of backgrounds and belief systems (which is critical to the learning experience), and our experiences vary greatly. Students who refuse to be respectful will be asked to leave the sessions. i. At the same time, however, I encourage you to challenge yourself and your assumptions about the world by embracing ideas that may be new or unfamiliar to you. This class should be a safe environment with learning as our primary goal—let’s take advantage of that opportunity. j. If, at any time, you are made to feel uncomfortable, please do not hesitate to bring this to my attention. I am sure we can work through it.

Religious Holy Days By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

2. Course Readings/Materials: ○ Assorted readings, provided by the instructor and available online. ○ Recordings, provided by the instructor and available online. ○ CANVAS course site access (see technology policy)

3. Assignments, Assessment, and Evaluation a. Throughout this course, you will be expected to read and listen regularly. This is not only part of your preparation for this course, but also a part of your musical and intellectual development in general. Readings and listenings assignments on the syllabus are to be completed BY that date. Please come to class prepared to discuss the material assigned for that day, and submit all assignments online in a timely manner. b. The bulk of the coursework will consist of quizzes, reading guides, short assignments, and a one-time “DECODING” final project, which will be explained in class. c. Reading Guides must be completed BEFORE class time on the day the reading is listed on the course calendar d. . No late reading guides will be accepted. e. NO FINAL EXAM for this class. Instead, you will complete a final project, which is due by end of the university scheduled final exam time. This will be submitted online, per the instructions given in class. f. Make-up quizzes will not be given. Should you fall too far behind, see me. Each quiz will be available online for AT LEAST two days, so you should plan to be able to complete them before their due date. g. Students should use the grading rubric below to estimate their progress in the class.

5. Technology Policies

a. This class uses CANVAS (https://canvas.utexas.edu). If you are not familiar with it, please take some time NOW to get used to navigating the interface. 99% of course materials, announcements, etc. will be circulated via this courseware. b. This class will be delivered via LAITS own online learning system, Rendezvous. Links will be posted in the appropriate places on Canvas. c. Virtual office hours (as well as one-on-one meetings, by appointment) will be conducted via ZOOM. Students should make sure they are logged into their official UT ZOOM account, via https://utexas.zoom.us d. This class has a twitter feed (@UT_Doc_C), which I will use to inform you about interesting stories, events, or class updates in real time. While following me is not a requirement, you will want to check the twitter feed periodically. For those of you who do not use Twitter, I have embedded a Twitter feed widget on the main page of Canvas. Since this account is purely for educational purposes, I will not follow you back—nothing personal. e. If you experience any technical issues whilst online, go ahead and email me as soon as possible. The LAITS representatives will handle technology issues, but your timely email to me will be documentation of problems for attendance/participation purposes. f. Last thing: the STUDENT is responsible for their own technology. You wouldn’t ask your dentist to fix your toilet, so don’t ask your music professor to fix your computer. IT Helpdesk offers substantial support for Canvas, email, connectivity, software, and hardware. They can be reached at 475-9400.

VI. Grading Procedures: Grades will be based on:

10% = Attendance & Participation 20% = Reading Guides 40% = Assignments (Quizzes, Discussion Forums, etc.) 30% = Final DECODED Project

Letter grades are computed as follows: 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D, and so forth. All pluses and minuses are computed at x3% and x7% (for example, 80%=B-, 83%=B, 87%=B+. The university does not give A+ grades, but you will know in your heart if you are an A+ person.

VII. Academic Integrity

University of Texas Honor Code The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.

Each student in this course is expected to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code. [See the UT Honor Code above.] Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work.

VIII. Other University Notices and Policies

Sharing of Course Materials is Prohibited. No materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, lecture hand-outs, videos, assessments (quizzes, exams, papers, projects, homework assignments), in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets, may be shared online or with anyone outside of the class unless you have my explicit, written permission. Unauthorized sharing of materials promotes cheating. It is a violation of the University’s Student Honor Code and an act of academic dishonesty. I am well aware of the sites used for sharing materials, and any materials found online that are associated with you, or any suspected unauthorized sharing of materials, will be reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Office of the Dean of Students. These reports can result in sanctions, including failure in the course.

Class Recordings Class recordings are reserved only for students in this class for educational purposes and are protected under FERPA. The recordings should not be shared outside the class in any form. Violation of this restriction by a student could lead to Student Misconduct proceedings.

Course Flags This course carries the flag for Cultural Diversity in the . Cultural Diversity courses are designed to increase your familiarity with the variety and richness of the American cultural experience. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one U.S. cultural group that has experienced persistent marginalization.

Email and Communication Policy Email is the primary mode of communication for this course. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that his/her email settings are such that they can receive official email from the university, and more specifically, through Canvas. Please allow a 24 hour turnaround for all emails to the professor. After 24 hours, however, feel free to send it again—it has gotten buried. Of course, I will attempt to answer messages as soon as possible, but last-minute or odd-hour emails will have to wait. In case of an emergency: email me immediately to apprise me of the situation, and then relax—we will work something out. You are always welcome during my virtual office hours, or you can make an appointment.

Documented Disability Statement Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at (512) 471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone). Faculty are not required to provide accommodations without an official accommodation letter from SSD.

■ Please notify me as quickly as possible if the material being presented in class is not accessible (e.g., instructional videos need captioning, course packets are not readable for proper alternative text conversion, etc.).

■ Contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone) or reference SSD’s website for more disability-related information: http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/for_cstudents.php

Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another individual’s behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call 512-232-5050 or visit http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal.

Q drop Policy The State of Texas has enacted a law that limits the number of course drops for academic reasons to six (6). As stated in Senate Bill 1231:

“Beginning with the fall 2007 academic term, an institution of higher education may not permit an undergraduate student a total of more than six dropped courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education, unless the student shows good cause for dropping more than that number.”

Land Acknowledgment We would to acknowledge that we are meeting on Indigenous land. Moreover, (I) We would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the Carrizo & Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan, Caddo, Tonkawa, Comanche, Lipan , Alabama-Coushatta, Kickapoo, Tigua Pueblo, and all the American Indian and Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been or have become a part of these lands and territories in Texas, here on Turtle Island.

Date Topic Reading Listening Due Week 1 UNIT I - The Foundations W 8/26 Intro: Course Outline Jay-Z: Decoded (excerpt), NO READING GUIDE 2004: Jay-Z -- "99 Problems" Decoding Hip Hop: 2004: -- "Crack Music" "99 Problems" & "Crack Music" F 8/28 Reilly-Destined to Disrupt 2019: Lil X -- "Old Town Road" Case Study #1: "Old Town Road" 2011: Jason Aldean -- "Dirt Road Anthem" [video] SYLLABUS QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) Week 2 M 8/31 Keeping It Real: Tropes and Authenticity W 9/2 The Industry F 9/4 Hip Hop: Where and Why? Week 3 M 9/7 LABOR DAY

W 9/9 Case Study #2: "The Message" Rose: "Flow, Layering, and Rupture in Postindustrial (Flow, Layering, and Rupture) " F 9/11 The Four Elements: Jenkins: "Graffiti" Graffiti & Breakdancing UNIT I QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) Week 4 UNIT II - Early Hip Hop M 9/14 Szwed: "The Real Old School" 1968: -- "Say It Loud--I'm Black and I'm Proud" 1976: George Clinton (w/ Parliament-Funkadelic) -- "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" Precursors to Hip Hop 1974: Keith Hudson -- "Pick A Dub" 1979: Chic -- "Good Times" 1971: Gil Scott Heron -- "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" W 9/16 1969: The Winstons: "Amen, Brother" 1970: James Brown -- "Funky Drummer" The Four Elements: 1973: The Incredible Bongo Band --"Apache" DJ-ing 1973: The Incredible Bongo Band -- "Bongo Rock" 1981: GMF & FF – “Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” F 9/18 The "Founding Fathers" of Hip Hop George "Hip Hop's Founding Fathers" Week 5 M 9/21 The Four Elements: MC-ing (Content) Edwards, "How Flow Works" W 9/23 The Four Elements: MC-ing (Structure) F 9/25 The Four Elements: MC-ing (Style) Week 6 M 9/28 Frick & Ahearn: "Rapper's Delight" 1979: Sugar Hill Gang – “Rapper’s Delight” 1981: GMF & FF – “Superappin'" Old Skool Hip Hop 1980: Curtis Blow – “The Breaks” 1980: Blondie – “Rapture” 1982: Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force – “Planet Rock” W 9/30 1984: UTFO – “Roxanne, Roxanne” The "Roxanne Wars" 1984: Roxanne Shanté – “Roxanne’s Revenge” F 10/2 Michel: "L.L. Cool J" 1984: Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic Three – “The Roof is On Fire” 1984: Whodini – "The Freaks Come Out At Night" Transition to New School 1985: – “P.S.K.” 1985: Doug E. Fresh & MC Ricky D () – “La Di Da Di” 1985: LL Cool J – “Just Can’t Live Without My Radio” UNIT II QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) Week 7 UNIT III - The Golden Age M 10/5 Case Study #3: "" Jones: "Run-D.M.C." 1986: Run DMC (feat. ) – “Walk This Way” (Intro to the Golden Age) 1986: The – “The New Style” W 10/7 1986: Ice-T – “6 In The Morning” 1987: – “How Ya Like Me Now” 1987: and DJ Polo – "It's a Demo" Foundational MCs of the Golden Age 1987: Eric B and – “Eric B is President” 1988: – “Raw” 1988: EPMD – “Strictly Business” F 10/9 1987: Salt-N-Pepa – “Push It” 1988: MC Lyte – “Paper Thin” Women in the Golden Age 1989: and – "Ladies First" 1992: Sister Souljah – "The Hate That Hate Produced" Week 8 M 10/12 Rose: "Fear of a Black Planet" 1988: N.W.A. – “” 1988: Boogie Down Productions – “My Philosophy” 1989: Public Enemy – “Fight The Power” Edutainment & Activism 1989: – “My Myself and I” 1985: MC Shan – "the Bridge" 1986: Boogie Down Productions – "South Bronx" W 10/14 Diehl: "" 1988: Ton Loc – "Wild Thing" 1989: Young MC – "Bust A Move" 1989: Biz Markie – "Just A Friend" 1989: Digital Underground – "Humpty Dance" Hip POP & The 1989: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh – “Parents Just Don’t Understand” 1990: MC Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This” 1989: De La Soul – 'Me, Myself, and I" 1990: Vanilla Ice – “Ice, Ice, Baby” 1991: – "Check The Rhime" F 10/16 1989: De La Soul – "Transmitting Live from Mars" Sampling 1991: Biz Markie – "Alone Again" UNIT III QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) Date Topic Reading Listening Due Week 9 UNIT IV - The Modern Era M 10/19 Basic Recording Techniques W 10/21 Hess: " and G-Funk" 1989: The D.O.C. – "No One Can Do It Better" Case Study #4: "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" 1990: – "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" (The Modern Era) 1992: Dr. Dre (feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg) – “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” 1993: Snoop Doggy Dogg – "Gin & Juice" F 10/23 1992 [1998]: 2Pac – “Changes” West Coast Dominance: Tupac & Snoop 1996: 2Pac (feat. ) – “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” Week 10 M 10/26 Bry: "Resurgence of NY" 1993: Wu-Tang Clan – “Protect Ya Neck” The Empire (State) Strikes Back 1995: – “Shook Ones, Pt. II” 2000: DMX – "Party Up (Up In Here)" W 10/28 The King(s) of New York: 1994: The Notorious B.I.G. – “Hypnotize” Biggie & Nas 1994: Nas – “The World Is Yours” F 10/30 1996: Jay-Z – “Can I Live?” Case Study #5: "Takeover" v "Ether" 1996: Jay-Z – "Dead Presidents I" (Jay-Z vs Nas) 2001: Jay-Z - "Takeover" 2001: Nas - "Ether" Week 11 M 11/2 " (vs Chi-Town) vs Everybody" TBD TBD W 11/4 Durty Souf TBD TBD F 11/6 DECODED Project Song Choice Face/Off (by Sunday 8pm) Week 12 M 11/9 South African Hip Hop TBD TBD W 11/11 European Hip Hop TBD TBD F 11/13 Hip Hop in Latin America TBD TBD UNIT IV QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) Week 13 UNIT V - Contemporary Hip Hop M 11/16 Kajikawa: "’s 'My Name Is': Signifying 2000: Eminem – “The Real Slim Shady” Whiteness, Rearticulating Race" 2002: Eminem – “” 2004: Kanye West – “Jesus Walks” 2007: T-Pain – “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” 2000s Mainstream 2008: – “A Milli” 2008: Young – “My President” 2010: – “Black & Yellow” 2010: Kanye West - "Monster" 2010: – “Your Love” W 11/18 "" 1999: [Yasiin Bey] – "Hip Hop" 2008: Kid Cudi – “Day n Nite” 2011: – “22 Offs” 2016: Noname – "Yesterday" Underground, Indies, and Trap 2017: – "1-800-273-8255" 2002: T.I. – "24s" 2012: – "Love Sosa" 2014: – "Trap Queen" F 11/20 2013: “Rusty” – Tyler, the Creator The New Lyricism 2013: “1 Train” – A$AP Rocky (ft. , , , Danny (XXL Freshmen Class) Brown, and Big K.R.I.T.) 2013: “Control” – (ft. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Electronica) Week 14 M 11/23 Case Study #6: "Alright" "Challenging But Gripping" 2015: Kendrick Lamar – "Alright" (Kendrick Lamar's TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY) W 11/25 THANKSGIVING BREAK F 11/27 Most Influential Voting Round 1 THANKSGIVING BREAK (by Sunday 8pm) Week 15 M 11/30 Battan: "How SoundCloud Rap Took Over Everything" 2007: Tell'em – " (Soulja Boy)" 2016: – "" Mumble, Memes, & Soundcloud 2017: (feat. Lil Uzi Vert) – "Bad and Boujee" 2018: XXXTenacion – "Sad!" W 12/2 2011: (feat ) – "Take Care" Hip Hop's Rise 2015: Taylor Swift (feat. Kendrick Lamar) – "Bad Blood" 2015: Drake – "" F 12/4 2017: – "Bodak Yellow" 2017: Princess Nokia – "Brujas" 2018: & – "Sunflower" 2018: – "Last Time That I Checc'd" Latest Developments 2018: J Cole – "ATM" 2018: – "Sicko Mode" 2019 [2017]: Lizzo – "Truth Hurts" Most Influential Voting FINAL Round 2020: – "The Box" (by Sunday 8pm) Week 16 M 12/7 TBD UNIT V QUIZ (by Sunday 8pm) Most Influential Discussion ----- DECODED PROJECT DUE BY FINALS